BulletProofBlog the blog on crisis communications

When Tiger Woods hits a 300-yard drive on the golf course, it’s hardly big news. But when he takes a 300-yard drive at 2:30 a.m. that ends in a crash at the foot of his neighbor’s driveway, it’s another story altogether. If you’re an avid sports fan like me, chances are you spent some time this weekend glued to ESPNews for the latest information on what was reported to be a “serious” single-car accident involving a ... READ MORE

Each week, Bulletproof Blog features exclusive interviews with thought leaders on issues of critical importance to companies and countries. This week, we interview University of Georgia Assistant Professor Mike Pfarrer, who – along with Tim Pollock of Pennsylvania State University and Violina Rindova of the University of Texas at Austin – just completed a groundbreaking study of how corporate “reputation” and “celebrity” affect investor decisions after positive and negative earnings surprises. A leading expert on issues ... READ MORE

Bulletproof’s Weekly Web Wrap-Up offers a compilation of key discussions regarding social media’s increasing relevance to business. For those still wondering about the power of social media, consider this: more than 12 million people engage in nearly 30 million conversations every single day on Twitter alone. Much of the discussion across the entire social media sphere is driven by consumers talking about the brands they encounter every day. Forward-thinking companies are adapting to this paradigm shift ... READ MORE

In this regular feature, Bulletproof interviews top plaintiffs' attorneys for their perspective on the crises likely to affect businesses in the near future. Today we talk to Robert C. Gilbert, a partner in Miami’s Alters, Boldt, Brown, Rash & Culmo, P.A. Mr. Gilbert is seeking class certification in the U.S. Southern District Court in Miami for multiple national cases against eight banks – including Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citibank, JP Morgan Chase, and Wachovia ... READ MORE

The top six social media tips to know before you leave the office. When reputational problems strike your brand in today’s digital realm, moving quickly to own the online messaging landscape can make the difference between a short lived bump in the branding road and a crippling long-term crisis.   How can organizations guard their reputations and protect their bottom lines when online critics launch viral assaults? The key is to be first in the online race to ... READ MORE

As news broke late last night and early this morning that Stork Craft Manufacturing is recalling 2.1 million cribs due to a suffocation risk that has claimed four lives and injured scores of children, consumer product companies got a good look at what’s to come as regulatory scrutiny of product safety continues to escalate. Government agencies like the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), are working with bigger budgets, enhanced regulatory mechanisms, and a mandate from Congress ... READ MORE

A panel of doctors sent shockwaves through the country last week, recommending that women above the age of 50 receive mammograms less frequently and women under the age of 50 largely forego what has become for many an annual routine. According to the American Cancer Society, women have a 1 in 68 chance of developing breast cancer in their 40s. In the face of this threat and the conventional wisdom that prevention is the best medicine, ... READ MORE

Each week, Bulletproof Blog features exclusive interviews with thought leaders on issues of critical importance to companies and countries. This week, with boards of directors dealing with increased shareholder pressures on issues ranging from executive succession to executive compensation, we interview Dr. John Holcomb, a professor at the University of Denver’s Daniels College of Business. A nationally recognized expert on issues of corporate governance, corporate responsibility, and crisis management, Dr. Holcomb shared his insights on how ... READ MORE

Bulletproof’s Weekly Web Wrap-Up offers a compilation of key discussions regarding social media’s increasing relevance to business. Social media encompasses a wide range of tools, services, and features, all of which are uniquely applicable to business, depending upon your particular communicative goals. For example, Facebook can work well for building communities of support online, blogs can be an effective tool for demonstrating thought leadership, and Twitter is often the best avenue for keeping audiences up-to-date and ... READ MORE

While enforcement of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) isn’t expected to begin in earnest until early 2010, smart companies are readying themselves now for a new era of product safety regulation. Soon, the compliance hurdles will be taller, the penalties for failing to clear them will be harsher, and the brand liabilities that accompany enforcement actions will be greater. This month’s edition of Levick’s High Stakes™ newsletter provides the insight and intelligence necessary to ... READ MORE